Syrian government forces have dropped cluster bombs over civilian areas

A resident of Tamane`a told Human Rights Watch that around noon on October 9, a low-flying helicopter “released a [bomb] that split in half and released smaller [bomblets]” and “the [bomb] split open between two schools, Intermediate and Elementary, very close to each other.

The schools are called Zeid Abi Elharissa and Mostapha el Bakri respectively … in Ibn Batouta neighborhood.” The resident said that, “The [bomblets] that exploded were the ones that hit the ground on the tip; we collected the ones that didn’t explode, their tip didn’t touch the ground.”

A video posted online on October 10 clearly shows remnants of an RBK-250 cluster bomb and AO-1SCh bombletsat al-Tah, another location near Tamane’a.

These unexploded submunitions are armed and can explode at the slightest touch or movement, yet civilians can be seen in some of the videos carrying the submunitions around, banging them on objects, and throwing them on the ground.

A video filmed at Tamane`a shows several men handling unexploded AO-1SCh bomblets, an act that is extremely hazardous.

A Tamane`a resident told Human Rights Watch that people have been taking the bomblets and remnants as “souvenirs.”

In a separate video from August, a young child is filmed holding an unexploded submunition.

“The cluster munition strikes and unexploded ordnance they leave behind pose a huge danger to civilian populations, who often seem unaware how easily these submunitions could still explode.” Goose said.

“There is an urgent need for the government to facilitate risk education and emergency clearance efforts.”